Feed-regulator.



No. 795,329. PATBNTED JULY 25, 1905.

w. H. & A. w. BIGE.

FEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 5. 1904.

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FEED REGULATOR.

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ANDREW Baum/04m. nwmunmwm Immune UNITED STATES lVALTER H. BIGE AND ARTHUR WV. BICE, OF MGGILLIVRAY TOWNSHIP,

PATENT OFFICE.

COUNTY OF MIDDLESEX, CANADA. v

FEED-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1905.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, l/VALTER H. Bron and ARTHUR WV. Bron, subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents of McGillivray township, in the county of Middlesex, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have jointly invented a new and useful Automatic Feed-Regulator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an automatic or self-regulating device the operation of which is automatically governed by the supply of fluid in the boiler, well, or other reservoir, the object being simplicity, durability, economy, and efficiency; and it consists of the improved construction and novel combination of parts of the same, as will be hereinafter first fully set forth and described and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference being had to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a steam-boiler, illustrating our invention in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of the self-regulating device embodying our invention. In this view the coupling is partly cut away. Fig. 4 is a detail end view of the valve chamber or body on the line a/ a of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a detail central longitudinal sectional view of the valve chamber and body shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the valve-plate which is secured to the valve-stem. Fig. 7 is a central cross-sectional view of same. Figs. 8 and 9 are detail plan views of the valveplates secured in the valve chamber or body and on opposite sides of the valve-plate secured to the valve-stem. Fig. 10 is a detail plan View of an annular ring secured in the. valve chamber or body.

1n the accompanying drawings the numeral 21 designates a steam-boiler; 22, a coupling, one of the branches a of which is secured to and opens into said steam-boiler; and 23, a valve-body, one end of which is secured in the branch (1 of said coupling 22.

I 24 designates a valve-stem, which rotates perfectly free in a socket 25 in the valve-body 23, and a portion of said valve-stem 24 extends beyond said body 23 and a socket 26 is formed therein, and 27 is a set-screw which engages with a screwrthreaded socket in said valve-stem, projecting into the chamber 28 in said body 23, is formed tapered and with a.

screw-threaded end- 0, with which screwthreaded end a nut 29 and brass Washer 30.

engage.

31 designates a float located in the steam-j boiler 21 and resting on and adapted to rise .and lower as the water in said boiler rises and lowers.

32 designates an arm secured at one end to said float 31, the other end of which arm projects through the opening 33 in the top of the boiler and into the coupling 22, and the end of said arm. 32 is inserted in the socket 26 in said valve-stem 24 and is rigidly held in said socket and secured to said valve-stem 24 by tightening the set-screw 27.

37 designates a valve-plate provided with a screw-threaded outer face, which plate is fitted to and adapted to engage with a screw-threaded socket 38 in the valve-body 23 to securely and rigidly hold said valve-plate 37 in place in said valve-body 23. 39 designates a central opening formed in said valve-plate 37, to which the valve-stem 24 is fitted, and d, e, f, and g designate radial openings formed in said valve-plate 37.

34 designates a valve-plate provided with an annular flange 35, through which and said.

valve-plate 34 a tapered socket 36 is formed, to which tapered socket 36 the tapered portion 6 of the valve-stem 24 is fitted, and (Z 0 f and g designate radial openings formed in said valve-plate 34, and said radial opening 9 in said plate 34 is formed larger than the openings 9 and g in the valve-plates 37 and 40, respectively, for the purpose which will be hereinafter set forth.

40 designates another valve-plate, which is fitted to and inserted in a socket 41 in the valve-body 23, and 42 is a set-screw extending through a screw-threaded socket in said body 23 and adapted to engage with the valve-plate 40 for the purpose of rigidly securing and holding said valve-plate from accidental movement, and 43 designates a central opening formed in said valve-plate 40, to

which the annular flange 35 is fitted, and (Z 6 f and g designate radial openings forme in said valve-plate 40.

44 designates an annular nut or collar,

1 formed with a screw-threaded outer face,

portion of said valve-stem 24, and the inner j which nut or collar is fitted to and adapted to end of said set-screw projects into said socket engage with a screw-threaded socket 45 in 26, and a portionb of the other end of said said'valve-body 23, and the side of said annular nut 44 abuts against said valve-plate 40 for the purpose of assisting in holding the latter, as well as the valve-plates 34 and 37, from accidental lateral movement and the valve-stem 24 from accidental longitudinal movement. 7

46 designates shoulders on the nut 44 for the purpose of providing a convenient means for engaging an operating device with said collar to rotate the same.

47 designates a reduced coupling which connects a steam-pipe 48 with the valve-body 23.

49 designates a passage in the body 23, which communicates with the openings g, g and g in the valve-plates 37, 34, and 40, respectively.

5O designates a coupling secured to the body 23, which opens into the passage 49.

51 designates a by-way pipe (shown in Fig. 3) which is secured to, opens into, and extends from the coupling 50 to and opens into a discharge-pipe.

(Z, 6, and f designate steam-passages formed in the body 23, which passages communicate with the coupling 22, opening into the steam- .boiler 21, and with the openings cl, d and (Z openings 6', 6 and 6 and openings f, f and f respectively, in the valve-plates 37, 34, and 40.

53 designates a valve-seat, one of which is formed in each of the steam-passages d, e, and f, with each of which valve-seats a valve 54, operated by a handle 55, engages to regulate the quantity of steam passing through or to altogether shut off and prevent any steam passing through said steam-passages d, e, and f, as required.

56 designates a passage in the body 23, extending from and opening into the coupling 22 and the passage 49.

57 designates a pressure-valve, the stem 72 of which is encircled by a coil-spring 58, and said valve 57 and spring 58 are inserted in said passage 56, the spring 58 being held in place between said valve 57 and a shoulder a on said valve-body 23, and 59 designates an adjustable tubular nut which engages with the screw-threaded portion a of said passage 56, and this tubular nut 59 not only answers as a valve-seat, but by adjusting said nut 59 the spring 58 may be more or less compressed in proportion to the distance said nut 59 is adjusted in said passage 56, and the pressure of said spring 58 on said valve 57 is regulated to be less than the pressure of steam necessary to operate the ordinary safety-valve (not shown) on the steam-boiler, so that when the pressure of steam in the boiler is higher than it should be it will operate said pressurevalve 57 and move it away from the valveseat 59 before the ordinary safety-valve will be operated. This will open said valve 57 and permit the steam to pass through passages 56 and 49 to and through the openings g, f, and g in the valve-plates 37, 34, and

40, respectively, to the valve-chamber 28,

where it unites with the steam from the passages (Z, 6, and j, which then passes to the steam-pipe 48.

In setting up this apparatus the valveplates 37, 34, and 40 are placed in the valvechamber 28 of the valve-body 23, the valve plates 37 and 40 being placed on opposite sides of the valve-plate 34, as shown in Fig. 5. Said valve-plates 37 and 40 are then adjusted so that the openings OZ and (Z 6' and 6 f and f will be in line with the passages (Z, 6, and f, respectively, and the openings g and g in line with the-passage 49. The valveplates 37 and 40 are then rigidly held and secured in place, while the valve-plate 34 is adapted to rotate perfectly free between said valve-plates 37 and 40.

In attaching this apparatus to a steamboiler 21 the branch a of the coupling 22 is secured to said boiler over the opening 33. The float 31 and arm 32 are then inserted in said steam-boiler through a hand-hole and the end of the float-arm 32 projected into the branch 0 of said coupling 22. The end of the valve stem 24 is then inserted in the branch (0 of the coupling 22 and the end of the float-arm 32 inserted in the socket 26 of said valve-stem 24, where it is rigidly held by tightening the set-screw 27. The valvestem 24 is then inserted in the socket 25 of the valve-bod y 23 and into andthrough the central openings 39 and 36 in the valve-plates 37 and 34. The valve-body 23 is then secured in the branch 66 0f the coupling 22. The valve-plate 34 is then adjusted so that the openings d 6 f and g therein will be in line with the openings (Z' and d, e and e, f and f and g and g, respectively, in the plates 37 and 40, and this is the position of this plate 34 when the water and float are low in the boiler. Then by placing the washer 30 and nut 29 on the end of the valve-stem 24 and tightening said nut'29 thevalve-stem 24 is drawn through the valve-plate 34 until the tapered end I) of said valve-stem 24 is bound firmly in frictional contact with the inner face of the tapered socket 36 of the valve-plate 34. This rigidly and firmly secures the valve-plate 34 to the valvestem 24. As just described, when the openings in the valve-plates 37, 34, and 40 are in' line with the corresponding passages d, e, and f in the valve-body 23 the steam from the boiler is permitted to pass through the passagesrl, e, and f and through the corresponding openings in the valveplates 37 34, and 40 to the valve-chamber 28, from which it is conducted by the steam-pipe 48 to asteam-pump. (Not shown, as it forms no part of our invention.) Through a pipe (not shown) leading from the steam-pump the water is supplied to the steam-boiler 21. As the water rises in theboiler the float 31 is also raised, and as the latter rises, the valvestem 24 and valve-plate 34, secured thereto,

are rotated and adjust the openings in the valve-plate 34 over on the solid portion of the adjacent valve-plates 37 and 40, and thus reduce the area of the passage through said openings, through which the steam has to pass. This reduces the quantity of steam passing to the pump, and consequently the operation of the latter will be slower. This continues until there is the required level of water in the boiler. WVhen the water is at the required level in the boiler, it is practically maintained at this point, because the supply of steam regulates the motion of the pump to replace the water according as it is evaporated.

The object of providing the valve-plates 37, 34, and 40 with a series of openings and the series of passages (Z, 6, and f in the valvebody 23, corresponding therewith and with the valves 54 and valve-seats 53 in said passages (Z, c, and f, is to adapt this regulator to boilers of different capacity.

This invention may be applied to'pumps other than those operated by steam or to pumps operated by mechanical means. This may be accomplished by first closing the valves 54 in the passages (Z, e, and f and connecting the coupling 50 by a byway-pipe 51 (shown in Fig.3) with the discharge-pipe from said pump which supplies water to the boiler and connecting the pipe 48 with the suction-pipe extending from the water-reservoir to said pump. In this case the water and float is at the required height in the boiler when the opening g" in the plate 34 is in line with the opening g and g in the plates 37 and 40, respectively, to permit the water from the discharge-pipe to pass through the bywaypipe 51 into the passage 49 and through the openings g, g", and g in the plates 37, 34, and 40,respectively,to the chamber 28 and from the latter to the suction-pipe through pipe 48. This change of position of the valve-plate openings g and g in relation to the opening when the water is at the required height in the boiler is due to the fact that when the float 31 lowers to close the passage 49 thewater passes through the discharge-pipe to the boiler instead of passing into the byway pipe. When the water is at the required level in the boiler, it is practically maintained at this point, because the instant that the water commences to lower the float lowers and operates the valvestem 24 and valve-plate 34 to reduce the area of the opening g in the plate 34. WVhen so adjusted, the supply of water is directed through the discharge-pipe to the boiler instead of to the byway-pipe, the supply of water passing to the boiler being thus regulated according as it is evaporated.

This invention may also be applied to an ordinary pump for pumping oil or other fluid for the purpose of keeping the pump working at its full capacity instead of pounding itself to pieces by pumping when there is nothing chamber to the suction-pipe.

for it to pump. In this case there is a .by-. way-pipe 51 from the discharge-pipe of the pump communicating with the passage 49 through coupling 50 and also a pipe 48 from the chamber 28 to the suction-pipe of the pump. In this case the opening g in the valve-plate 34 is in line with the openings ,0

and g in the plates 37 and 40, respectively, when the fluid and float thereon in the well or other reservoir is low. In this case the openings in the valve-plates 34, 37, and 40 are in line with one another and with the passage 49 or open to permit the fluid to pass from the discharge-pipe through the byway-pipe and passage 49 to the valve-chamber 28 and from the latter to the suction-pipe through pipe 48; but the instant that the fluid rises in thewell or other reservoir the float also rises and operates the valve-stem 24 and valve-plate 34 to reduce the area of the opening (1 in the valveplate 34. In this case thefluid passes through the discharge-pipe to the receiving-tank instead of passing through the byway-pipes and In portable engines*such as locomotive, marine, or threshing engines all possibility of the surging of the water resulting from the movement of the engine could be avoided and com pletely prevented by inclosing said float in cage. By inclosing said float in a cage in such a manner that while the float will be free to operate by the rising of the water in the boiler the cage would be stationary and surround said float to avoid and completely prevent .the surging of the water due to the movement which might result in the case of locomotive, threshing, marine, or other portable engine, from interfering with the proper action of the float.

Having thus described our invention, we claim v 1. An automatic feed-regulator consisting of a valve-body, a valve-chamber formed in said valve-body, a disk-shaped valve in said valve-chamber said valve being formed with a plurality of openings, a plate located adjacent said valve and formed with corresponding openings, all of said openings communicating with a common valve-chamber, and a float operating said valve for the purpose of regulating the supply of fluid to the pump or other feeder, by the raising and lowering of said float on the fluid in the reservoir in which said float is located, substantially as shown and described and for the purpose specified.

2. An automatic feed-regulator consisting of a valve-body,a valve-chamber formed therein, an oscillating valve-plate provided with a radial opening, stationary valve-plates each provided with a radial opening and secured in said valve-body on opposite sides of said oscillating valve-plate, a valve-stem secured to said oscillating valve-plate and a float secured to said valve-stem for operating the, latter by the rising and lowering of the float on the fluid in the reservoir in which said float is located, substantially as shown and described and for the purpose specified.

3. An automatic feed-regulator consisting of a valve-body, a series of passages and a valve-chamber formed in said valve-body, a valve in each of said passages, an oscillating valveplate, and stationary valve-plates located in said valvechamber, and a series of openings in said oscillating and stationary valve-plates, adapted to be adjusted in line with the series of passages in said valve-body, a valve-stem secured to said oscillating valveplate, and a float secured to said valve-stem for operating the latter by the rising and lowering of the fluid in the reservoir in which said float is located, substantially as shown and described and for the purpose specified.

4. In an automatic feed-regulator, a valvebody, a valve-chamber formed therein, an oscillating valve-plate provided with a radial opening, stationary valve-plates each provided with a radial opening and secured in said valve-body on opposite sides of said oscillating valve-plate, a valve-stem secured to said oscillating valve-plate, and a float secured to said valve-stem, in combination with a coupling to one of the branches of which the valve-body is secured, and another branch secured to the reservoir in which said float is located, and said valve-stem extending into said coupling to be connected to said float, substantially as shown and described and for the purpose specified.

5. In an automatic feed-regulator, a valvebody, a series of passages and a valve-chamber formed in said valve-body, a valve in each of said passages, an oscillating valve-plate, and stationary valve-plates located in said .valvechamber, and a series of openings in said 0scillating and stationary valve-plates, adapted to be adjusted in line with the series of passages in said valve-bod y, a valve-stem secured to said oscillating valve-plate, and a float secured to said valve-stem, in combination with a coupling to one of the branches of which the valve-body is secured, and another branch secured to the reservoir in which said float is located, and said valve-stem extending into said coupling to be connected to said float, substantially as shown and described and for the purpose specified.

6. An oscillating feed-regulator consisting of a valve-body, a valve chamber formed therein, an oscillating valve-plate provided with a plurality of openings, stationary valveplates each provided with a plurality of openings, a chamber into which all the openings in said valve-plate lead, said valve-body having a passage leading from above one of said openings in the valve and out through the side of the valve-body and a second passage leading from the end of the valve-body into said first-named passage and a pressure-valve located in said second passage.

In testimony whereof we have signed in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

WALTER H. BICE. ARTHUR WV. BIGE. WVitnesses:

P. J. EDMUNDS, A. BYRIoK. 

